Disobeying Destiny
by SocialDisease609
Summary: AU in which Tonraq and Senna never revealed Korra as the Avatar, and like Aang, had initially avoided her Avatar duties out of fear of global enemies. The world is in chaos due to her cowardice. While fighting in the front lines of another Water Tribe Civil War, Korra struggles with trying to ignore her destiny, and all her enemies from the entire series at once. (Korrasami)
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Disobeying Destiny

**Summary: **AU in which Tonraq and Senna never revealed Korra as the Avatar, and like Aang, had initially avoided her Avatar duties out of fear of global enemies. The world is in chaos due to her cowardice. While fighting in the front lines of another Water Tribe Civil War, Korra struggles with trying to ignore her destiny, and all her enemies from the entire series at once.

**Chapter One**

There was fog for miles, and as it blended in with the brightness of the expanse of snow, one almost felt like they were surrounded by a celestial glow. But this was not heaven, this was hell. Korra stood in a hidden snow trench with the rest of her company, her long hair lightly dancing with the wind, and watched in high alert for the first sign of Northern Water Tribe warriors. According to a scout, the invaders had been spotted coming their way and would cross paths within the hour. Well, that was almost _two_ hours ago, and Korra and her fellow brother- and-sisters-in-arms were getting tense by the second. She scanned her company from her peripheral vision, calculating their chances of victory by creating bender and non-bender ratios in her head. There were exactly 150 warriors in this company stationed in the wild outskirts of the Southern Water Tribe, and only 50 were benders. Many of the water-bending masters had be reserved for inner-city defense and guarding important social figures, so it was safe to say that you would find more non-bending warriors here in the field than you would in the more densely populated areas. The strongest soldiers protected the people, while the _rest_ protected the land. In the young warrior's mind, the land was equally important and worth defending, because the more land you lost to the enemy; the better they could suffocate the population. Lose the wilds and you lose lumber and earthly material for economics and weapons building. Lose the wilds and you lost hunting and farming grounds. Lose the wilds- the only thing between them and their enemy, and the Northern Water Tribe would be at their doorstep. Losing the wilds meant eventual and inevitable civilian casualties.

But maybe this battle would be a secured victory… they had the Avatar on their side after all, they just didn't know it. When Korra was an innocent young child, she had discovered that she was blessed with more than her ethnicity's lineage of water-bending, but could also fire bend and earth bend. She had stumbled across this power in the safety of her home, and her parents immediately forbid her to bend those elements, panic displayed across their faces. Normally, parents would be thrilled to know they had given birth to the Avatar, but times had reverted back to how they were in the days of Avatar Aang. The Avatar cycle was once again under a genocidal attack. The one free city that was built for co-existence had been taken over by a radical political party known as the Equalists, and their powerful masked leader, Amon, had gone on a genocidal rampage, stripping as many benders as he could of their powers in public assemblies, forcing benders who didn't fight back to flee for their lives, desperately trying to escape the city and claim asylum back in their bending-nations… if their leaders would take them. Fire Lord Izumi had welcomed all the fire-bender refugees from Republic City, and even non-benders who refused to join Amon's order. The Earth Queen accepted earth-benders too- not as honorably as the Fire Lord, not many were admitted to Ba Sing Sae, but were allowed to stay in villages in the countryside. As for the Air Benders… yes, air benders, they overcrowded the Air Temples for safety.

Korra had avoided her Avatar duties, yet took pride in her power. However, for as evasive as she was, she still could not escape Raava, being inside herself after all. The ancient spirit had at least convinced the young warrior to do her ordained duty by fighting Vaatu. Korra had slipped away from home, opened the Southern Portal, transcended to the Spirit World, then opened the North Portal and waited for the battle. Even though she had hid her Avatar status from everyone in her social circle aside from her parents, she did confide in one other person without her parents' notice: Katara. As the widow of her previous life, Korra had confided in the water-bending master her spiritual identity, and asked on her to help her practice her other elements in privacy, especially air, the one she struggled with the most. But with enough time and seclusion, she had tapped into that part of her power, albeit her weakest one at the time, but she had finally unlocked it, thanks to Katara's counsel and support. Her victory over Vaatu had released such spiritual energy into the world that Air Benders were resurfacing! But that wasn't the only big news in the world. While Korra rejected her Avatar duties, the world was clueless as to if the Avatar was even in the Water Tribes at all. It had been eighteen years since Avatar Aang's passing that people were wondering if the Avatar was in hiding, or if he or she had died before being presented to the world. Many believed that was the reality, and that the cycle could be in any region by now! Who knows how many times the Avatar had died and been reborn in those 18 years, if they weren't in hiding? But thanks to her success in Harmonic Convergence, the world now knew that whoever this Avatar was, they were old enough to handle a tremendous spiritual battle.

_"The Avatar has been among us all along," a Southern Water Tribe warrior had read one day from a newspaper, as he and Korra and the rest of their company dined on preserved food in the mess hall. "Equalist Leader, Amon, was quoted saying 'The Avatar's cowardice to participate in the physical world does not bother me at all. Let him or her do their duty in the spiritual grounds. That's where the Avatar belongs anyway, not with us. The day they try to seize power in the physical world, the Equalists will be waiting.' Fire Lord Izumi urges the Avatar to make him or herself known in the safety of the Fire Nation, while the Earth Queen offered no comment. Air-bending master Tenzin, son of the late Avatar Aang, also begs for the Avatar to resurface and help fight the injustices that are running rampant across the world."_

One of the conditions Korra made Katara swear was to not let her children know that she was the reincarnation of their deceased father… she would reveal herself in time. But the Avatar was running out of time. The world was crumbing around her. Katara witnessed this fear and procrastination in the Water Tribe warrior, and tried not to give negative counsel, but the elder could not put the worldly news in any other light. The Earth Queen had suddenly been assassinated one day, targeted by a group called the Red Lotus, who had reemerged into society at the evidence of this elusive Avatar achieving victory in Harmonic Convergence, and it was rumored that the Equalists were trying to build an alliance with the mysterious order to track down the Avatar together. The Earth Kingdom was in shambles, and scrambled at the feet of a "savior" named Kuvira, who was turning the Earth Kingdom into a militaristic nation. How much longer was the Avatar going to sit idle as the world fell apart? "_Let me end this war first",_ Korra had gritted through her teeth at Katara one day, _"One thing at a time…_"

But how long would it take for this war to end? It had only been a year, and there really wasn't any progress. They were in the same boat they were since the start- defending the outskirts … and the portal.

Korra's eye caught movement from the end of the trench. Their captain raised a fist silently as he took down his spyglass. "They're here…" he said in deathly whisper. Korra scanned the horizon from their trench, seeing through the visible breath coming from her and the other soldiers, and saw faint outlines of a moving mass of people. Soldiers for sure from the North; their light purple tunics somewhat visible in the fog. "Ready," whispered the captain. Korra and the benders created massive ice shards in unison, suspending them in the air, as the non-benders readied bows with arrows. As their opponents continued their walk through the fog and they became more visible for the captain to confirm their identity, their leader nodded and shouted "Fire!"

Through the openings of the trenches shards of ice and arrows flew, whistling through the crisp air and crashing and piercing into the enemy force. The sharp cries of their injured and those quickly descending to death echoed throughout the air. There was a command mixed with the pain in the air, and soon the Northerners charged viciously down the snowy field, charging spikes and arrows down to the now visible trench, their surprise attack giving away their location.

"Fire at will!" commanded the Southern captain, "Hold your positions!" Shards of ice and arrows were shot out of the trench in a rapid fashion, crashing down by the charging military force, taking only a few soldiers into the afterlife.

"Watch out!" Cried a soldier next to Korra, and all the Southern warriors tried to retreat from their openings at the trench, as large boulders of ice were smashed against them, caving some of the trench's foundation in.

Shaking the snow and debris from herself, Korra cautiously made her way to her captain, dodging ice spikes and bone-tipped arrows along the way. "Captain, we have to engage in open combat!" she shouted over the sound of the trench collapsing, ice shattering, arrows whizzing, and battle cries merging into an all-too-familiar song of death. The captain had seen his fair share of battle, and had been a seasoned fighter for over thirty-five years, but even he knew he had to let his troops disperse to the battlefield. Staying in the collapsing trench would only trap his forces and bury them in wood and snow. He nodded, then looked over Korra's shoulder to the rest of the soldiers.

"Charge!" he commanded, and the Southern Water Tribe forces ran out of the trench, emptying the front line to make way for the rest of the company waiting inside the barrack rooms further beneath the ground. The swarm of blue rushed by Korra's vision, and the warrior soon scrambled to the battlefield with her brothers and sisters, their captain charging in behind her.

Reaching behind her back, Korra pulled out from a harness a long spear, gripping it in her right hand while reserving her left and for bending. Not many warriors carried this ethical style of war like Korra did. While everyone did have a melee weapon of some sort, bender or not, Korra tried to reserve her spear with combat against non-benders, making the duel as fair as possible. When it came to one-on-one or open field combat, Korra would try to never use bending on someone who did not have the gift. Running briskly across the deep field of snow, Korra passed many of her fellow warriors and collided into an opponent first. The two of them crashed into the cold inches of snow, but instinctively scrambled back to their feet. Holding her spear in both hands, the Avatar watched her enemy, immediately taking a defensive stance first. She needed him to reveal if he could bend or not before she made her first strike. With a growl, the Northern warrior reached for a sword at his belt, and unsheathed it. Non-bender. Korra lunged forward, extending her spear with her right arm, aiming for the man's gut. The man quickly reacted, and swatted the spear off target with his sword. Korra made a step to the side to stay aligned with her weapon, and made a quick evasive roll away from the man as his sword came crashing down into the ground, failing at an attempt to hack a limb off of her. He turned around, not letting her take advantage of any vulnerability, but as he turned to face her, the young warrior thrust her spear with both arms, and impaled the man straight through his heart. Blood streamed down the staff of her spear and met her hands as the dying man fell to his knees. Korra pushed him down onto his back with her foot, applying pressure to his chest. She ripped the spear out, as blood sprayed out of the wound and onto the pristine snow. As she watched the life fade from the Northern warrior's eyes, Korra couldn't help but feel ashamed. She was doing her duty as a warrior of her homeland. What she was doing was right on that front, but she couldn't help but wonder what Raava thought, staying dormant in her body. Did the Avatar kill? Was she leading a blasphemous Avatar life simply by taking life, even in a fair fight for a righteous cause?

Her mind returned to the battlefield as she saw a constant rumble of blue, purple, white, and red clash all over the battlefield. Ignoring the blood drying to her hands, she shifted her spear back into a defensive hold and continued charging down the field, throwing ice spikes at bending Northerners, and puncturing weapon-wielding counterparts, shedding blood with her company. She didn't know how long the battle lasted, or how many lives she hand ended herself, all that she knew was that they were victorious when her bloodlust had subsided and she saw the destroyed field in front of her. It was funny how earlier that day the field had looked celestial. The pristine heavenly snow was disturbed and scattered and had soaked up every drop of blood that drained out of a fallen warrior, north and south. Bodies were scattered across the field in nightmarish positions, some missing limbs, some contorted with broken bones, intestines displayed from being sliced across the stomach, empty eyes staring at unknown gods in the sky, mouths semi-open from taking their last breaths or saying their last words.

Korra turned away from the massive grave to account for her surviving members, and soon found the captain sitting against a dead Northerner, trying to catch his breath.

"You're wounded," Korra said, as she knelt by her leader, taking notice of blood showing through his tunic on his shoulder.

"It's nothing," his breathed staggered, "listen, Lieutenant, I need you to travel to the Council of Elders and let them know of our victory, and that we need reinforcements to replace our dead. While you are there, make sure they organize morticians to be sent to us to collect our fallen warriors, and give them a proper funeral."

The Avatar nodded, accepting her orders as healers came from the collapsed trench to aid to all still alive on the field. Korra went deep into the trenches to find the stable they kept for all their animals. The further down into the trench, the closer you got to a secondary entrance. She would use that to exit the bunker and travel to the capital city. She chose her favorite steed… a polar bear dog she affectionately named Naga.

When she had arrived to the Council of Elders, she had interrupted a meeting in progress.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," the warrior said, walking towards the members present, "but I come with urgent news regarding our civil war."

"Speak," said one of the elders, eyeing her skeptically. Korra had forgotten to wash up. She was so determined to carry out her mission she was now standing before the Council with dried blood across her face and hands, sticking to her long flowing tangled hair, and her warrior tunic torn here and there, with caked mud and dirt clinging to the fabric. A man in nice clothes and a perfectly groomed mustache was standing near her, frowning at her appearance. He must have been the citizen who the Council had been holding a meeting with before she barged in.

"We were just recently attacked at the North Fields bunkers by Unalaq's forces. We achieved victory, but have lost many soldiers and require reinforcements. We have depleted the entire attacking force, save for some prisoners of war, if anyone survived. The North will not know that they lost troops in this crossing, so there is the risk that troops will continue trying to cross it. My captain also requests that funeral services be granted to our dead."

"Granted," said the old man who had addressed her from the council. "Congratulations on your victory, young warrior, and condolences for your departed. Please, rest before returning to your company."

"Thank you," Korra said, bowing respectfully to the Council. She began to turn around and walk away when the man with the peculiar mustache started talking.

"Like I was saying…" he went on in a rather rude tone, "She is offering to help our cause!"

"But doesn't Future Industries supply the Equalists?" boomed the voice of another council member.

"Yes, but it's a half-effort. Basically just to keep herself in good-graces, and most importantly- alive. I got in contact with her through the Triple Threats in Republic City. Mafia activity is the only resistance to the ethnic cleansing of bending that is happening in Republic City. All the gear they have, they were supplied with by Ms. Sato. Fortunately, she doesn't know that they were the ones who killed her father… since they did it through non-bending ways so no one would expect the murderer of the Equalist's main supplier to be a bender. They made it look like non-benders who robbed him for his wallet. Anyway… she is 100% pro-bender. Well, not a pro-bender like the sport, but you know what I mean!"

The man's voice was so animated and energetic, that the rambling made the Avatar smile as guards began to pull open the doors for her to exit.

"Yes, Varrick, but why exactly did she agree to help the Southern Water Tribe? There is a difference between supporting benders in terms of equality and supporting benders in a civil war," continued the deep-voiced councilman.

"I told her we have the Avatar on our side."

Korra froze in her tracks.

"We do not have the Avatar. Or at least, not to our knowledge. No one knows where the Avatar is or from which region they herald from currently."

"Well, she doesn't need to know that," Varrick huffed. "She's so intrigued by spirituality that she'll probably just believe me and ship us all the weapons and tanks we need."

"And you don't think that she'd want to see the Avatar for herself?" the voice of the booming councilman echoed through the meeting room, like the voice of an angry spirit from the heavens. "Or tip off the Equalists?! Do you know what danger you could have put us in as a whole if this inventor of yours doesn't know how to keep quiet!?"

**Author's note: So I realize that it is hard for Korra to face all her enemies at once, especially Unalaq since Harmonic Convergence has passed, but trust me, all will be explained soon, and this is an AU, liberties with the story are obviously going to be taken. I also give very thorough explanations via PM lol. Sorry if people don't like the thought of Korra killing… but I wanted to put a realistic touch on the militaries of the Avatar Universe. Since Korra is running away from her Avatar responsibilities, she chose a "normal life" by being a warrior for just her people… but being a warrior may just be the viewpoint Korra needs to see that the Avatar is almost the same thing? Hmm? Hmmmm? Anyway, comments feed me **** lol**


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Disobeying Destiny

Summary: AU in which Tonraq and Senna never revealed Korra as the Avatar, and like Aang, had initially avoided her Avatar duties out of fear of global enemies. The world is in chaos due to her cowardice. While fighting in the front lines of another Water Tribe Civil War, Korra struggles with trying to ignore her destiny, and all her enemies from the entire series at once.

**Chapter 2**

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Sato," said a young voice. Asami Sato had looked up from her menu to view the young man standing by her table. He was tall and lean, with sharp black hair and haunting amber eyes. Everything about his clothes screamed street-rat meets hired-muscle, and the young woman knew then and there that her contact had sent this man to negotiate with her in his stead, but first, she had to be sure.

"Who sent you?" she asked quietly, raising her cup of tea to cover her lips very nonchalantly. She wanted confirmation, but hopefully this hired-muscle had the common sense to not respond with the name of her actual client.

He sat down next to her in the booth and smiled, waving a waitress down from the other end of the café. "The rice cakes were delicious, thank you for making them," was all he said as he watched the waitress walk towards him, "Much better than your traditional family recipe."

"How can I help you, sir?" asked the waitress, pulling out her notepad to take his order.

Asami slowly put down her cup of tea and registered his words. He was speaking in code, of course, using the words that only she and Viper had assigned. The leader of the Triple Threats thought that the safest way to make illegal business was to make it seem like people were only exchanging recipes. Code names had to blend in with every day conversation, not words that seemed out-of-the-blue. Rice cakes meant small packets of explosives. Family recipe simply meant the old models her father had made before his death.

"Just a green tea," the young man asked with a smile, adding a wink when the waitress said she'd be right back, making her blush. As the woman walked away, the man turned back to face Asami.

"Name's Mako, by the way. What's the recipe of the day?" he asked, trying to charm her with his smile as he did with the waitress. Asami pondered for a second, wondering if this rookie knew the entire lingo she shared with his boss.

"Roast duck," she said finally, leaning against the table, trying to read his reaction.

Mako nodded, raising his eyebrows as if surprised by this answer. "Oh, really?" he asked, "I thought that took too long to cook?"

"They do," Asami answered, "But I really want to get a prototype out-" Mako furrowed his eyebrows in disapproval, shooting her a warning glance at her slip up from the word-game. Catching herself, Asami continued, "I would like to go hunting for one…"

The man was lost, trying to decipher her hints at this new language. The waitress arrived and placed the tea down in front of him. "Thank you, sweetheart," he said with another smile. The waitress giggled and nodded, retreating back to tending the rest of her diners.

"In order to properly make the roasted duck, we have to get a fresh one from the woods," Asami continued, trying to be interpretable. Sighing, she shifted down the booth to be closer to Mako and whispered as she pretended to drink once more, "I have suits that could possibly withstand chi-blocker attacks, but I need them to be tested, and the only way to test them is to find a chi-blocker to attack a subject."

His eyes widened as he finally understood, and turned to look at her, concern written on his face. "You want me to go duck-hunting?"

"I need one to properly follow the recipe," she said. She knew what she was asking was dangerous, but in order for the bending resistance to gain some ground was if they could evade the chi-blockers better. The suit she was making had special padding around key chi-points that severely affected bending. She needed to see if the padding would absorb most of the attack so that the benders could withstand hand-to-hand combat with them better.

Mako nodded along as he watched the ripples in his green tea. Suddenly, he looked up at her and asked, "Would you like to come over for dinner tonight? We're having sirloin steak." Payment. Viper always used beef, one of the most expensive meats, to reference getting paid.

"I would love to," Asami answered without missing a beat.

"Usual time?"

"You can count me in."

* * *

><p>Before meeting with Viper and his close council for dinner, Asami dug through her files at Future Industries looking for a particular file called Project Waterfall. For the past week, Asami would look at the contents of this file with excitement, anxiously reading through the details. They were her weapon plans for the Southern Water Tribe. The first few pages of the massive stack of papers were filler, designed to fool a noisy person into believing that Asami was drafting a man-made waterfall for the city park, but further into the stack of papers, there were blueprints for special armor, upgraded melee weapons, pyrotechnics and ballistics, and wilderness versions of sato-mobiles designed to be the perfect convoy in harsh winter weather. But she often found herself wondering why she was putting such work and effort into this deal with the Southern Water Tribe's liaison, Varrick. He had intrigued her by the promise of the Avatar being on their side, but she had moments of doubt. She couldn't deny that she was excited to hear that the Avatar was alive and well, and knew that the best way to keep it that way was to keep quiet about the Avatar's location. Varrick had said that the Avatar had chosen to help resolve the Civil War, and then once that would happen, would reach out to the rest of the world, especially aiding Republic City in the bending resistance. But she knew there was a possibility that it could just be a hoax to get Future Industries to supply them, but whether the Avatar was in the picture or not, she would still be making sales, but… there as a part of her that wanted to do this not for the sake of capitalism, or for the sake of somehow aiding benders, but that the thought of the Avatar was not neglecting the world had given her a hope and drive to make sure that the Avatar could save the world. She still didn't want to be taken as a fool though. She wanted to see this Avatar for herself. She had to somehow organize a trip down to the South Pole first before agreeing to sell her products to the cause.<p>

"Our Leader, Amon, is here to see you, Ms. Sato," said her receptionist, who had creaked open the main door to Asami's office. Asami froze in her chair with the file still in her hand and nodded to her receptionist, trying to slowly, but casually, put the file away before Republic City's dictator came through. She pulled open a desk drawer and gently laid the folder inside before quietly closing it back up, just in time too, because Amon had stepped into her office. He wore his usual jacket and mask, with his hood pulled up, and had his hands behind his back as he walked towards her. Asami gracefully stood up from her chair to bow to him in the traditional fashion.

"It is a pleasure to see you, Leader," Asami said, immediately going into her acting skills. "It is such a surprise, especially since it is so… late."

"I know, I am sorry for coming on such a short notice and for it being close to the end of your business day, but I just wanted to come down and personally thank you for all the support you have given to the Equalist cause," Amon said coolly. "I know that with the loss of your father, you could have easily discontinued your company and products, but like a true citizen, you carried your grief into sustaining your father's legacy of Future Industries. The Equalists would not be where they are today if it wasn't for you and your father's genius and ambitious contributions."

"Thank you," Asami said, trying to sound genuine. She watched as the man walk around her desk to stand in front of her. "Is there any other way I can help you?" she asked, feeling her soul shrink under his gaze. His blue eyes watched her from underneath his mask. He reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder. Asami shuddered on the inside.

"You are the true example of a perfect citizen, you know that?" he said, his voice still in the collected tone he always demonstrated. "Smart, beautiful, generous, and loyal. If the people ever needed a role model, it would be you," The hand he had resting on her shoulder slowly slid down her arm, and gently squeezed for a brief second before removing himself from touching her. "I think you should be more of a public citizen than you already are, Ms. Sato. It would mean a lot to me and the cause to have you standing next to me at rallies."

Asami blushed at his invitation, picking up on his signals and screaming in her mind. Was there a way to politely turn down a dictator without being assassinated for rejecting them?

"I'm too young," was what her mind went with, and Asami immediately hated herself for it.

"Nonsense," Amon said, still just as collected, "You can run an entire business on your own at such a young age, surely you have what it takes to help lead our revolution. You're a natural leader," He stepped in closer to her. "I'm not forcing you to do anything, Ms. Sato," he said, "I have no objection to being traditional, but I am the most powerful man in Republic City, and you are without a doubt, the most powerful woman in this city. You are the only kind of person I would dare share my power with. What I offer you is a great opportunity. Think about it."

With that, he turned around and showed himself out of her office, leaving Asami feeling violated from only his words and cold gaze. She had to turn him down. She couldn't possibly keep fueling the bending resistance while under the eye of Amon.

She slowly sat back into her chair and examined her dilemma. Was it possible though, to keep aiding the resistance while being Amon's bed-warmer? She shuddered at the thought, but was utilizing her sexuality her only option? She wondered if she'd ever get to see his face. Shaking the thought out of her head, Asami tried to focus on her "dinner plans" with the Triple Threats. She wouldn't allow Amon to intimidate her into consent. She'd rather go into hiding with the Triple Threats and lose her company than give herself to Amon. Heck, she'd rather fight the Water Tribe civil war among the fabled Avatar.

**Author's note:** Ew, Amon wants Asami. Can't have that can we? What ever happened to our awesome soldier Korra? How is Mako going to go duck-hunting?! Follow for updates to find out. As always, feed me comments. Feed the animal.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Disobeying Destiny

Summary: AU in which Tonraq and Senna never revealed Korra as the Avatar, and like Aang, had initially avoided her Avatar duties out of fear of global enemies. The world is in chaos due to her cowardice. While fighting in the front lines of another Water Tribe Civil War, Korra struggles with trying to ignore her destiny, and all her enemies from the entire series at once.

**Chapter Three**

"Don't worry, Ms. Sato," Viper smiled, leaning back in his chair, "The servants aren't snitches here, unlike your staff at Future Industries. No one's going to tell Amon that his squeeze is having dinner with one of his enemies."

Asami grimaced at his remarks. "I'm not his squeeze," she retorted.

"But his is after you, no doubt…"

The CEO watched the mafia leader study her face with amusement. She knew she couldn't trust her staff, but no one was in her office when Amon last spoke to her. Either the Triple Threats had bugged her office, or her receptionist was listening at the door after she showed Amon in; either way, she knew she never really had privacy, especially in her office.

After her brief encounter with Amon, she had made her way to the public library. Even before the dictator made personal visits to her business, she knew she had to be careful when traveling to meet her rebel allies, the Triple Threats. The had organized a rendezvous at the library- the mafia forces of Republic City had joined together years ago to create an underground system that made for easy access to key locations in the city, and the library was one of the many gateways to the underground highway. Asami had chosen the library checkpoint simply because it was the least suspicious place for an inventor to be seen after business hours. Sato had wondered why Amon had not destroyed the library, like dictators before in general history, but being one of the "brilliant minds" of Republic City employed by Amon, she was allowed the "privilege" of knowledge, while the rest of the every-day citizens were banned from the building, and spoon-fed Equalist curriculum. She made her way to the basement of the library, where she met up with a Triad who escorted her to where she was now, dinner at an undisclosed location with Viper.

"Listen," Asami said, changing the subject, "I need your help with something."

Viper reached for his glass of red wine and took a long sip. He was in no position to deny support, after all Asami had done for the Bending Resistance, no matter how much his mafia-boss ego wanted to always call the shots.

"What do you need?" He finally asked, placing the glass back on the table.

"I need to be escorted to the Southern Water Tribe…"

Viper glanced at the CEO in confusion. "How ridiculous. What for?"

"I made a shipment deal to them, but I want to be present for the exchange."

"Ms. Sato, let me ask you something," Viper said, leaning back in his chair again, the dim lighting of the room giving him a suspicious atmosphere. "I understand you've gotta make business, but… why the Southern Water Tribe? Why not the Northern Water Tribe? Or the Fire Nation or the Earth Kingdom? What makes the Southern Water Tribe so special?"

Asami did not respond immediately, but watched Viper pick apart greasy pieces off the roasted duck on his plate, waiting for her answer. She wanted to keep as much of this trip confidential as possible, but a voice in the back of her mind whispered that notifying them of the Avatar's presence potentially being in the Southern Water Tribe's forces might give her all their support.

"I've received word that the Avatar is fighting alongside the Southern Water Tribe." Asami said confidently, watch Viper's eyes bulge.

"The Avatar?!" Viper spat in disbelief, "And who is this contact of yours?"

"I will keep that to myself until I have your support," Asami said, choosing not to reveal her entire hand of cards.

"The Avatar's alive?" Viper asked to himself, his eyes searching the table as if the answer was hidden somewhere on it. He looked back towards Asami. "How many cycles have passed? Or is this still Aang's successor?"

"I don't know," Asami answered. "All I know is that I want to see if it's true before I complete the deal. Maybe if we help the Avatar win the civil war, he or she will help us fight Amon."

Viper remained silent, but his eyes shinned with excitement and new-found faith. HE leaned across the table eagerly, then nodded at her words.

"We'll stage another robbery at one of your warehouses. The coastal one," he began. Asami leaned in too, accepting this as his agreement to support her, and listened. "We've done it flawlessly before, so flawlessly that Amon and his investigative police still believe you were legitimately robbed of sato-mobiles and weapons. They have no idea that you made a deal with us to take them. This time," his voice shook with excitement over his plan, "we'll stage a robbery and a kidnapping. We'll pre-fill a Future Industries ship with these goods you promised the Southern Water Tribe, and when we're ready, we'll attack. We'll make it seem like the Triple Threats and the Agni Kai's stole you and gear to build weapons for the Resistance in an unknown land. We'll pay off some of the naval guards… we have a couple in our pockets still. Amon and his top officers will be so concerned with an external threat, he may forget about protecting certain areas of Republic City again. We can gain more ground as he searches for you. But, we need to plant some of my guys in before the attack. I will assign Mako and Bolin. They will come to you soon for mock interviews. Give them positions close to you at all times."

Asami recognized the first name as the man she met up with earlier in the café, but the second eluded her.

"Tell your contact that we are working towards your departure. This could take some time, we obviously can't make this work in one day. But you're gonna have to be a sport, Asami, and stomach as much of Amon's advances. Trust me, I teased you earlier, but none of us really want you in that position, no matter what leverage or coverage it gives us."

"Hey boss," said the gruff voice of a goon who had just showed himself into the private dining room. "Bolin caught a duck for you and your dame…"

"How wonderful," Viper said, putting on his smooth persona. "Ms. Sato, I know we just had some really succulent duck for dinner, but perhaps you'd like to see how well my boys can hunt?"

"Of course," Asami nodded, understanding the lingo immediately. She stood up from her chair, and Viper followed in good etiquette. "Lead the way…"

Viper stretched out his arms in front of him besides his goon, implying an "after you". Asami followed the hired muscle with Viper casually on her tail, and soon the goon led them to a room with a safe-mechanism as a door. He cracked the code immediately and swung open the metal door to let his boss and business partner in first.

They were in a room with one wall like a sheet of glass- a two-way mirror, Asami recognized immediately. On the other side of the mirror was a young man kneeling on the ground in chains. He was dressed in Amon's chi-blocker uniform, and his face was frantic and bloody. She could hear his anxious breathing. He was probably not much older than 15.

"There's your duck, Ms. Sato," Viper said triumphantly.

"A duckling," she corrected.

A door on the other side of the room screeched, and a man dressed up in her anti-chi-blocker prototype suit came strutting in to face the boy who tried so hard not to tremble.

"Ha!" Viper shouted, placing his hand over his gut as he laughed. "Bolin caught the boy, so naturally Bolin's gotta try the suit too?"

Asami watched the man suspiciously, eager to see why this young man named Bolin was going to be entrusted by Viper to protect her and escort her to the south. He moved awkwardly in the suit, the padding over his chi-points were pulled tightly- Asami did not imagine such a broad muscled man to wear the suit. If she had known, she would have made the fabric of the suit more elastic. He bent down to unlock the boy's shackles, and immediately, the boy took to his defense, sending an assault of punches all over Bolin's body. The man grunted in annoyance at the boy's stamina, but pulled his arms up to his chest, raising the ground beneath them to trap the boy in a cage of earth. The boy whimpered in panicked defeat and shame, as the man named Bolin turned to face the mirror.

"How'd it work?" Viper asked from a small microphone in their half of the room.

"Alright," Bolin said. "Suit could be a little looser. Padding could be a little thicker. He didn't get to fully block my energy, but he got some of it with his hits."

"Not bad for a prototype," Viper said, pleased. "If the demo suit could protect him enough with how it is, I can only imagine what the finished product will be like."

"I'll get to improving it right away," Asami said, nodding at the achievement of the promising suit of armor.

* * *

><p>In the Southern Water Tribe, war hero Korra was facing a crisis. She had been summoned from her company by her father's command, the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe. He was in a meeting with the Council as she waited for his return.<p>

"Mom, Varrick told this outsider about me- well, not about me, but- that the Avatar is here. He basically used me in his barter. I am basically expected payment," Korra said, looking desperately at her mother.

"You don't know that just yet," Senna tried to comfort her daughter, wrapping her arms around her shoulders as Korra found solace in her mother's embrace. Like all mothers, sometimes Senna found it strange to known that her daughter was an adult now, but times like these reminded her just how much of a child she still was to her. "There is no word that this woman will come down here to see you."

"But why wouldn't she come here?" Korra asked, still distraught despite relaxing in the hug. "Why wouldn't see want to see the Avatar when I've never entered the global spotlight? She's going to come, mother. She is…"

Both women turned around as they heard the door to their home open, and found themselves looking into the solemn face of Tonraq, Korra's father. He didn't have to ask why the two women why they had been hugging, or why Korra looked up at him desperately for words… he knew.

"Varrick has used you as leverage," he said with a sigh. "I'm sure that you heard by now that Varrick has sold the promise of the Avatar for weapons from one of the top suppliers in the world. Everyone is practically on the look-out now for you, Korra. They obviously don't know _you_ are the Avatar, though."

"Dad, what am I supposed to do?"

He looked at her for a second, almost considering being blunt with her, but looked away as if it pained him to keep eye-contact for so long. "Varrick has just received word from this CEO that she will be on her way soon. There was no date disclosed, but that she is for sure going to make her way down here as soon as she can… when she arrives, you will protect her. That will be your new assignment. You may not want to reveal yourself to the world, but I will not let this woman die for you if she made this trip."

Korra slumped to the ground in despair, crossing her legs as if prepared to meditate.

"Oh honey," Senna sighed, feeling her daughter's emotion.

"It's like I can't avoid it…" Korra said, eyes shut tight.

"You can't…" her father said. "Korra," he sat down next to her. "In life, destiny or not, we all have to do something eventually. Everyone has trials and tribulations they must meet and solve. This is yours. You must move with life or lose it. I am speaking as your father, not as your commanding Chief. You must do what's right and keep this visitor safe. You know you must."

"Can I… can I have a moment alone?" Korra whispered, not looking at either of her parents.

Tonraq and Senna exchanged glances, then nodded at their daughter and left the humble house.

Shifting into a full meditative stance, Korra closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, and slipped further and further away from the conscious world.

_I should let Varrick be exposed as a liar… but will the Tribe experience danger from this? What would the consequences be? Will I put my people more in danger for denying to be the Avatar once more?_

_ "Korra…"_

The Avatar opened her mind's eye to see the image of Aang standing before her in the spiritual void.

_"Aang… I… I don't know what to do. I don't want this," _Korra admitted shamefully, looking away from her predecessor. The Air Nomad watched her compassionately.

_"I too feared my responsibilities as the Avatar in my youth, you are not the first to be intimidated."_

_ "But there's so much happening in the world right now. How can I bring peace and balance to the world when every nation is full of its own chaos? They will not accept me." _Korra frowned, feeling overwhelmed by the thought of pleasing the public.

"_It is not your duty to please politicians and polls. It is your duty to protect the world. There are billions of people in this world, Korra, and not everyone is going to be your ally or approve of your actions, but that does not mean that it is not worth being the Avatar. You will find support, and you will find disciples and dedicated souls to fight besides you. You will not be alone forever. As long as you shun the world, you will struggle."_

_ "But Aang… I can't just arrive at any of the four nations and expect to solve their problems effortlessly. You make it sound easier said than done…"_

_ "Korra," _Aang's voice became stern, but nor cruel. He gazed upon her like a father. "_You are a prestige soldier in the Southern Water Tribe. You protect your people through the medium of war. You already have the strength, courage, and discipline to be the protector of the world. Bringing balance back to the world will require time and strategy, of course, but you have been training all your life to face fear. You did not choose becoming a warrior for the war glory, but to learn how to be an honorable fighter, to be able to face death every day. To be willing to die to protect the people you love. Your military achievement can grow, Korra, and be applied to your Avatar destiny_."

_"So should I just let everyone know? Right now?"_

_ "You should let the world know… but not yet. You have allies on the way…"_

_ "What?"_

_ "Do not fear the visitor from Republic City, Korra. This may be your chance to build your team. You moment is dawning…"_

Korra's heart felt an indescribable surge of excitement. Aang's words filled her with pride and anticipation. Maybe her predecessor was right… apart from size, how much different would being the Avatar be in comparison to being a warrior. She had faith in her skills… perhaps giving in to her Avatar duty was no longer her problem, but her heaven-sent solution.

_"I will wait…"_ Korra started, studying Aang's gentle face. _"Until she arrives. This woman from Republic City. If she proves to be a true ally and not just an average businessperson, I will reveal my identity to her."_

Aang nodded silently.

_"I must end this war though…"_ Korra continued. _"I will do my duty, Aang. I will go to the rest of the world. But I must end this war… I'll end it not as a warrior, but as the Avatar."_

* * *

><p>"Good morning, Asami," said Amon, who had showed up at her officer door. Immediately standing out of her chair, Asami bowed respectively, with her fist at the base of her palm, before giving him a friendly smile. "No need for curtsies," he said, his eyes watching Bolin and Mako suspiciously. The benders had passed their "interviews" two weeks ago, and it had been three weeks in total when Viper and Asami made the heist plans at dinner. Today was the day of the hit.<p>

"I'm sorry," Asami chuckled, "Old habits. Mako, Bolin, leave us, please."

The brothers obeyed and quickly shuffled out of her office and into the reception area, where they held the company of some of Amon's chi blockers waiting for his return. Mako had closed Asami's doors behind him. When the doors shut, Amon turned his attention back to Asami. He reached up towards his face and pulled off his mask and his hood, revealing his scared face. Asami had learned to keep her shock to herself and watched sincerely. On the inside, she was retching. She tried to keep this balanced- enough to keep Amon interested, but enough to keep her somewhat comfortable.

"What brings you in today?" Asami asked, with the trademark smile of any business person trying to strike a deal.

"Always professional," Amon said with an amused smirk. Ever since his first visit a few weeks ago, Amon had been slowly perusing Asami. Visiting more frequently, sending her gifts of flowers, and jewelry, and books, and had even extended an invitation to her for a rally, which she accepted (solely to keep up the act, of course). She had to keep making him believe she was loyal, even though she wasn't, and if he was interested in her, she could most definitely play along. She had even given him a kiss once, the first time he revealed his face to her.

"Your mother would've been proud of you."

The comment was unexpected, and for the first time in years, Asami couldn't hold up her guard and was violently affected by the words. Her heart felt like it had been pinched and her faux smile dropped from her face.

"Please," Asami said, the last bit of her manners struggling to hold control. She didn't know if she wanted to cry or to yell at the man in front of her. "Don't talk about my mother."

"It is okay, Asami," Amon said, moving closer to her. "I know how it feels. I lost my family too, and to fire benders."

"I know your story," Asami snapped. Amon seemed taken aback at first, but recovered with a small smile.

"I don't want to anger you," he continued, "but I am strangely touched that you would not hold back your anger from me. It tells me you're genuine with me, Asami, and I appreciate that. Deeply. It means I can trust you. But I mean it…" he closed the gap between them and wrapped his arms around her tense shoulders in a gentle hug. "She would. She would be proud of you."

Asami shuddered with anger, but her mind was focused on foggy memories of her mother, asking herself if her mother really would have been proud of her. Would she be proud that she was letting a man she didn't want touch her? Would she be proud of her for not trying harder to save Hiroshi, her father, from his Equalist emotions? Would she be proud that she was rebelling at all?

Placing her hands on his chest, she gently pushed away from his embrace. "I appreciate your comfort," Asami began, searching for a way out of this encounter. "But you'll have to forgive me, I must have time alone. I … I can't be reminded of my mother in such a way. I apologize…"

"Of course," Amon said, caressing her cheek. "It's my fault. I should be the one apologizing. Please, take time to yourself." He gathered his mask and secured it on his face before turning to the door. He didn't say any words on his departure, but left silently, closing the door behind him. Asami sank into her chair and exhaled loudly. Her body felt so tense and her heart was trying to calm down from her emotions.

Asami felt herself being to zone out, and she didn't know how long she had daydreamed, but soon she was yanked out of it by hearing a loud boom, which also shook the room. The attack plan must have begun. She reached into one of her desk drawers and pulled out her electric Equalist glove and equipped it.

Another sound of an explosion and her door broke open and Mako and Bolin barged in.

"Let's go!" Mako commanded. Charging in after them was one of the guards Amon had assigned to Future Industries.

"Ms. Sato, we must get you to the panic chamber!" he said frantically.

"You have a panic chamber?" Bolin asked, genuinely intrigued. The guard turned to the Earth-bender, completely oblivious to Mako behind him, who charged a volley of fire at the man's face. The guard cried out in agonizing pain, raising his hands to his head as if he could protect himself from the attack. Asami cried out as well, in horror of the sudden image of the man's face practically melting before her.

"Why'd you do that?!" She shouted at the fire-bender.

Mako ended his attack as he turned to face her. "This has to look real," he explained seriously. "We have to fool Amon so tat there's no room for suspicion. We're only going to leave one guard alive. Those are our orders."

"And it couldn't be him?" she shrieked, pointing at the corpse on her floor, blood and charred tissue matter sticking to the rug.

Mako glared at her in response, and firmly grasped her wrist. "Come on, Bolin. Lead the way."

The fire bender's brother obeyed and took the lead, passing through the broken office doors first into the reception hall. Asami noticed that her receptionist was nowhere to be found, and she hoped she escaped at the first sign of trouble. The foundation trembled at the sound of constant explosions in the distance and she could hear the mixed commands of Amon's guards and the Triple Threat thugs echoing through the halls.

"Amon?" she asked, as Mako continued to roughly pull her after him.

"Don't worry," Bolin said before Mako could open his mouth, "We waited for him to leave and be a significant distance away before commencing the attack. We have eyes stationed ll over Republic City who radio some of our members. And uh…" Bolin stopped in his tracks to face Asami as they stood before another large door; this one lead to the man hallway to all the offices and hangers of the warehouse. "It's probably best if you pretend to be fighting us of as we take you to the rendezvous point. We need you to act. This is supposed to look like a kidnapping, remember?"

Asami nodded, subconsciously trying to wring her wrist free from Mako's grip.

"Alright," Bolin sighed, "here we go!" He slammed open the doors and Asami saw the chaos unfolding in her warehouse. Employees frantically tried to escape, dodging all forms of bending, and Triad and Agni Kai members ran rampant donned in her anti-chi-blocker suits, corrupted with bloodlust as they practically destroyed chi-blocking guards in their way. Asami tried to wriggle out of Mako's hold, putting on the show she was ordered to, and Mako reciprocated by wrapping his arms around her waist tightly, and dragging her through the hallway.

"Let me go!" she shouted, reaching up behind her to try and claw at his face. Mako tried to dodge her hands as they dragged through the hallway, Bolin knocking out anyone who came towards them, but soon Mako couldn't stand her defiance and let go of her briefly just so he could slap her viciously across the face. Asami shouted in pain and surprise as Mako grabbed her waist again. Tears welled up in her eyes as a red mark began to grow on her cheek. Weakly, she tried to continue her act of resistance in his arms.

"Ms. Sato!" cried a voice, "How dare you hit her!"

Asami looked up to see one of her workers take a trembling stand before the trio amongst the chaos. He was one of her main shift supervisors. A man of fifty years old and who had a family.

"Get out of the way! Save yourself!" Asami shouted, her jaw feeling tight from the slap.

He shook his head in the negative and charged all he could for his age towards them. "Let her go!"

"No!" Asami pleaded as she watched Bolin punch the man right in the temple without a second thought. It sent the old man to the ground instantly, and was out cold. "How could you?!" she cried to Bolin.

"He was valiant, you don't see that anymore," said Mako in her ear. "The old man will be fine. Points for bravery." They stepped over his body and continued to make their way down the hall with Asami pretending to be overwhelmed by the fire-bender's attempts of restraining her. Many of her staff knew her to not be the damsel in distress, but during this attack, they didn't seem to doubt her struggle, as they watched even Amon's stationed guards drop like flies.

Soon they had made their way outside the warehouse and were on the docks, making their way towards their marked ship that had been previously filled with goods the night before. The gang members were crowded along the docs, laughing at their victory as the two brothers escorted Asami on board.

"Did you secure our passage through the harbor?" Asami asked anxiously, worried that after such a violent attack that police reinforcement had not yet arrived.

"Viper said he paid some commanders off," Bolin said as they watched from a window, the ship leaving the dock.

There was an entire fleet ahead of them, and some changed in formation.

"They're going to fire," Asami said. They sailed closer and closer to the fleet, approaching the coastal city limit. A battleship angled their cannons towards the ship and Asami's stomach dropped. The sense of failure washed over her, followed by the feeling of imminent death. And before they knew it, a ship fired. Asami closes her eyes and braces for the impact, but the vibration from the hit doesn't feel like she expected and she opens an eye in curiosity. Bolin is clapping at the view in front of him, and Asami runs towards his window. One of the boats had fired upon the other preparing to attack!

"We're about to have a full on naval battle in a second," Mako said, as their ship continued to glide. "Best to just sail without getting ourselves tangled in this. Our allies in some of those ships will give us enough cover to escape."

Asami watched in jubilant awe as they sailed past the battle now unfolding, ships confused as to who their enemy was and who was their ally, and as they glided away from the battle, Asami took one last look at Republic City, not knowing when she would be able to return….


	4. Chapter 4

Amon crushed a shard of broken glass under his foot as he surveyed the destruction inside the coastal factory of Future Industries. Windows were broken, luxurious wooden panels were splintered, the floor and walls were charred from extinguished flames, paperwork was scattered among the dead bodies- staff members and Equalist guards. Not a single gang member had been counted among the casualties or wounded.

"Amon," began his lieutenant. "We have a surviving witness. One of Asami's shift supervisors has information on the attack and abduction."

"Bring him in," Amon said coolly. The lieutenant left and came back moments later with the supervisor. The old man held an ice pack to his bruising temple.

"Tell me what you remember." Amon commanded collectedly. No time for pleasantries and introduction.

The old man readjusted his ice pack before giving his account:

"I was just about ready to release first-shift on break when I heard an explosion. This was down in the west locker. I saw at the far end of the hanger that a massive chunk of the wall had been taken out and that Triple Threat and Agni Kai members were coming through. I immediately issued an evacuation on sight. It was all happening so fast. The mobsters were stashing weapons from the lockers into their bags, but my main concern was getting my crew to safety. After ushering my crew to the main hall, I saw those two men taking Ms. Sato away!"

"Which men?" Amon asked. "Do they have a name?"

"I don't know them, Leader. I just know that Ms. Sato had hired them a couple weeks ago as office assistants. I'm sure they have files somewhere in the HR office under new-hires."

Amon nodded, then ushered the man to continue. He knew which men the supervisor meant, he had made eye contact with them before when Asami saw them out of her office so they could talk in private.

"It was horrible, Leader. One of them was very restraint and harsh with her, dragging her by her waist. She- she tried to scratch his face, but he hurt her. He slapped her right across the face! She- she could've…" the man stopped his story and realized the memory in his mind. He could have sworn that Asami had an Equalist glove equipped… why hadn't she used it?

"Supervisor?" asked Amon, noticing the old man's pause. "What is it?"

The old man furrowed his brows in concern as he realized the possibility that his boss might be a traitor to the Equalist cause. But would he say that to Amon? Deep in his heart, he knew he didn't fully agree with the agenda, but had complied out of the instinctual need to survive. But now, his old heart had been shocked by the wave of hope that maybe Asami had something up her sleeve to combat the regime.

"Nothing, leader… I just can't believe this all happened. The memory overwhelms me a bit."

"That's understandable, thank you for your time," Amon said, nodding gracefully, "You may return to the medic on site or home, you are relieved and placed on administrative leave until further notice."

"Thank you, Leader." The supervisor bowed and turned to leave the room.

"Don't worry, Amon," said the Lieutenant, placing a hand on his boss' shoulder. "We'll find her."

* * *

><p>Asami watched the heavy sapphire colored waves gently crash into the hull of the ship as she leaned against a starboard rail. The sea was quiet, save for the motion of the languid waves and the engine room of the ship deep below her feet. She was looking at the constellations sparking throughout the indigo sky, but now she focused on the visible breath escaping her lips. Either they were getting closer to the South, or this was the normal temperature for a night spent in the open sea.<p>

"Hey…" said Mako, who had walked up to lean next to her. Asami stayed against the rail, and only acknowledged his presence by turning her head to face him. "I'm sorry about the slap. I'm sure you know it was just to make the escape more convincing, but I just wanted to make sure everything was okay."

Asami reached to touch the tender bruise forming on her cheek. "I know," she said, "I didn't take it personal, but it did hurt like hell."

The fire-bender didn't speak after that, and Asami began to feel tension growing. She came up from her quarters to get some fresh air, but now was seriously thinking about retreating back to her room to escape this inexplicable atmosphere.

"About this trip," he finally said, almost startling the CEO. "I really do hope that the Avatar is in the Southern Water Tribe. I know you're not a bender, but you don't have to be to know just how important this will be for everyone who still believes. All my life my brother and I did what we had to in order to survive, but when the Equalists began to gain power, I couldn't help but feel like maybe I was some kind of antagonist in society… especially when the only means of defending myself and fellow benders was to join a criminal organization. Sure, I could have fled to the Fire Nation with Bolin, or maybe even the Earth Kingdom, under Kuvira's regime… but those nations… they aren't fighting back."

Asami watched the young man next to her stare out to the stars as he opened up his feelings of faith to her, astounded that he would do such a thing when they were still practically strangers to each other.

"I stayed behind with the mafias because I wanted to fight back. I didn't want to give up, and unfortunately, the only way to do that was to join a group of people who fight dirty." Mako continued, his voice rising every second. "If we find the Avatar, I will _beg_ them to help our cause. I want to fight for my cause with an honorable leader, to feel like I am fighting _truly_. I don't want to have to fight with shady methods. I want to stand tall and proud… I just…"

"I know," Asami comforted, placing a hand on his shoulder. "The Avatar means a lot to all of us… well, all of us on this side of the fight. Like you said, I don't have to be a bender to know how important this is. I am filled with just as much hope as you are, and I just have a feeling… that we will find the Avatar. I can't explain it, but I can _feel_ it in my soul, like I'm approaching a part of my life that's supposed to happen. I think life is going to change soon. For everyone."

* * *

><p>Almost a week had passed since they had received word from Varrick's contact that the CEO from Future Industries had successfully slipped out of Republic City and was on her way, and they were expected to dock within the hour. Korra's stomach was in knots. She had already decided to reveal herself to the woman from the city, but she still felt nervous about it. She wanted to change her mind and coward out once more, but her father was right about this woman. She was sacrificing her life to get here, to stay here to distribute and instruct on the weapons and gear she was importing, and was sacrificing her freedom back in Republic City. If Amon and his Equalist movement had found out about her betrayal, she would be hunted down. Maybe the woman would be executed; maybe she would be imprisoned for life. She would definitely lose her company- and then maybe Amon would have her be a homeless martyr, to teach a lesson to the rest of the citizens who thought about aiding benders.<p>

"Now remember," said Korra's father. "You do not have to reveal yourself once she gets off the ship, but you must let her know once you get some privacy. Varrick is going to have the deal be made at one of the field trenches out in the wilds, so Asami, that's her name, will have her crew escort herself and her inventory to that bunker. He told her that that's where the Avatar is stationed. Since Varrick doesn't know that you are the Avatar, I suspect that Varrick might be sinister and either delay Ms. Sato into eventually making the deal, or could possibly- and I hope he's not capable of this, but I don't want to doubt it completely- kill her once she's in the bunker so he can take her goods freely. You are to stay with this woman at all times. Do not leave her side. I hope you reveal yourself as the Avatar publicly before Varrick does anything more corrupt than he has already done."

Korra nodded, "Don't worry, dad. I won't let her out of my sight."

Tonraq had gathered his family, the Council, and a considerable sized portion of the military to wait on the docks with them to welcome their guest and potential ally. It was important to have the ruling family meet political guests. Korra and Tonraq were dressed in formal elite military garb, equipped with ceremonial weapons, while Senna wore a modest, yet unique Water Tribe tunic- enough to stay humble, but also enough to distinguish her from the rest of the public. Varrick, the instigator to this whole mess, had snuck himself into the crowd. He was the one who she was formally going to meet with, though, so he had a reason to be here just like the rest of them gathered around.

A horn sounded off in the lighthouse, signaling the arrival. Everyone looked forward and saw the ship in the distance. Korra's knots dispersed into butterflies, and it seemed only seconds for the ship to dock, and out through the doors Korra only saw one thing. Her heart seized at the sight… of a woman with green eyes.

_Green_.

Korra stared. She knew that there were people all over the world with different color eyes, but in a lifetime of blue, these green eyes, the first she had ever seen, captured her. The green eyes caught her gaze, and the woman smirked confidently, her long black hair blowing flawlessly in the crisp spring wind, as she strolled out of the ship with a motley crew following behind her. Korra took in the sight. Green eyes, amber eyes, grey eyes- her heart jolted excitedly, feeling an overwhelming urge to get to know all of these strangers. She felt drawn to them, like an instinct. She was the Avatar, and by nature, cared for all life, but maybe this spark of interest came from finally being exposed to the rest of the world's benders. She felt centered and empowered, their faith radiating off their bodies to feed her spiritual strength.

Tonraq nudged his daughter, waking her from the enchantment of the eyes, signaling her to follow. They met their guests halfway along the pier.

"Ms. Sato," greeted Tonraq, "It is an honor to have you. I hope you find your stay here most _enlightening_."

The woman Korra first laid eyes on bowed traditionally. "It is an honor to being forming an alliance with you, Chief Tonraq. And please, call me Asami." Her voice was confidant and bold, but warm. The voice of a true leader.

"This is my wife, Senna," Tonraq began to introduce, as the two women showed respectful greetings to each other, "And this is my daughter, Korra. She will be your escort to the bunker in the fields."

Asami raised her eyebrow slightly, amused, as she looked at Korra, but bowed nonetheless. "It is a pleasure to meet you, too," she said.

"Likewise," was all Korra went with.

"Asami!" greeted an enthusiastic voice. Varrick made his way up the pier and wrapped an arm around the woman's shoulder. "I'm glad to see you made it!"

"Me too," Asami said dejectedly. "Believe me, I have never been so happy to see land in my whole life. I cannot handle the sea for very long."

"How are the goods?" Varrick asked, going straight to business now that formalities were exchanged. "May I inspect?"

"You can inspect when I meet the Avatar," Asami said, "that was our deal, don't forget."

"The Avatar will be waiting for you at the bunker. He didn't want to leave the fields and his company. I'm sure you can forgive him." Varrick said with a sly smile as he walked with Asami down the pier, the "royal" family following close behind.

Korra rolled her eyes as Varrick decided to make this fictional Avatar male, having no idea that the true Avatar was right on his heels.

"Mmhmm…" Asami mumbled, already watchful of Varrick's every move.

"Please," Tonraq said, stopping the moving group. "You and your company should rest first, Ms. Sato, before setting out to the field. Surely you are hungry and tired."

Asami nodded. "Yeah, sure, I bet we all can use a bit of rest and fresh food before heading out."

"We have arranged a dinner in your honor." Toraq said, "Korra, please take Ms. Sato to her quarters so she may rest and prepare for dinner. Varrick, escort her… company to rooms of their own."

* * *

><p>"You don't have to wait outside," Asami called out, as Korra stood in the hallway. "We're both grown women, I'm pretty sure there's nothing you haven't seen before."<p>

Korra hesitated in the doorway, not wanting to insult her guest, she wasn't sure if giving her privacy or following her request was the right thing.

"Come inside, don't worry. I'm finished dressing," she heard the CEO laugh. Korra turned around and passed through the door swiftly, returning to the room.

Asami had changed her wardrobe, switching her traveling outfit for a more casual-formal getup. She was finished dressing, smirking as she adjusted her skirt. "I appreciate you giving me privacy," she said, "but I really don't feel uncomfortable with you being in the same room as I change. I'm pretty sure I can trust you. Am I right?"

"Yes, of course," Korra responded. She immediately felt ridiculous for feeling so feeble around this new woman. She was the daughter of Chief Tonraq, and was the Avatar! She could stand tall as a woman dressed in front of her. There was absolutely no reason to be so shy.

"Can I ask you a question?" Asami asked, sitting down on her bed.

"Of course," Korra repeated, gaining control of her social composure.

"Why is the chief's only heir a soldier? Shouldn't he be keeping you out of harm's way?"

"I wanted to do military service in order to protect my people. I believe the best way to become a great leader is to fight besides those you expect to risk their life for you. No one is willing to stand behind someone who doesn't care about their life. If I'm willing to risk my life for them, they will be willing to risk their lives for me." As Korra said these words, he voice dropped a bit, as she realized how this related to her Avatar duties. She had never exposed herself, and therefore had lack of followers. The public had rejected the notion of the Avatar because the Avatar had neglected them.

"I see. Your method of leadership is balance. I would agree completely. Back home, in Republic City, I often make my way down to the warehouses and factories to help my employees. I don't stay in the office all day. I believe in experiencing the working conditions myself, that way nothing ever gets out of hand or corrupt. I wouldn't want my workers to be under conditions that I wouldn't want to be under myself."

"Why do you want to meet the Avatar?" Korra found herself asking, as her fell back into the enchantment of Asami's soft green eyes.

Asami looked at her peculiarly before answering, "Because I know that this isn't how the world is supposed to be. I have never met the Avatar, obviously, but I am already devoted to whoever he is. You'll find many more people who are too, especially those among my crew. Back in Republic City, you would not believe the genocide that is happening. At first it seemed to just be ethnic cleansing of benders, which is still horrible on its own, but ever since Harmonic Convergence and the reappearance of Air Benders, Amon's regime has become even more corrupted. He had any surfacing Air Bender executed in public rallies- all the officers of his who gained the power had committed suicide, either out of fear of execution, or because they had believed their Equalist agenda so passionately, that they couldn't bear to be the person they were taught to hate. His whole notion is the genocide of benders. The fire nation offers asylum to benders and non-benders who have somehow escaped the city, but will not attack for spirits' know what reason. Kuvira has turned her back on the social injustices in Republic City too to rebuild her Earth Nation, and the Air Nomads can't build their Air Nation under this persecution. Republic City is on its own, but the world needs the Avatar."

Korra nodded solemnly, letting Asami's words sink in.

"I guess it does."


End file.
